TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
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HCMC<br />
EURASIAN<br />
FLAVORS AT<br />
CAF– SAIGON<br />
Cafä Saigon is a unique<br />
buffet restaurant<br />
serving signature dishes<br />
all day. Unlike other<br />
buffets, when enjoying<br />
meals at Cafä Saigon,<br />
diners can watch as the<br />
talented chefs prepare<br />
Vietnamese cuisine in<br />
addition to specialties<br />
from around the world<br />
in 6 open kitchens. Cafä<br />
Saigon offers an intimate<br />
atmosphere for you to<br />
recharge with a cup of<br />
coffee while relaxing to<br />
gentle classical music. A<br />
seafood buffet with more<br />
than 80 Asian-European<br />
dishes prepared with<br />
fresh ingredients is<br />
available every evening<br />
from Thursday to Sunday.<br />
(EASTIN GRAND<br />
SAIGON HOTEL *253<br />
Nguyen Van Troi, Phu<br />
Nhuan, HCMC *Tel: 08<br />
3844 9222 *Website:<br />
www.eastingrandsaigon.<br />
com)<br />
BARS<br />
PUBS<br />
&RESTAURANTS<br />
HCMC<br />
VIETNAMESE FOOD<br />
VIETNAMESE HOME<br />
Vietnamese cuisine is diverse and delicious with thousands of unique dishes from the country's<br />
3 main regions: the North - Central - and the South. Ngon 138 Restaurant was founded<br />
with the ambition of bringing together all the well-known dishes of the country under<br />
one roof, and has been a reliable destination for many locals and foreigners. Located in the heart<br />
of magnificent Saigon since 2001, Ngon 138 Restaurant is the sole restaurant nestled within a<br />
traditional Hue - styled wooden house built based on oriental living philosophies and architectural<br />
principles. Ngon 138 Restaurant proudly offers its respected customers the perfect combination<br />
of the essence of Vietnamese gastronomic culture and the beauty of the traditional Vietnamese<br />
wooden architecture.<br />
(NGON 138 RESTAURANT (SINCE 2001) *138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist. 1, HCMC<br />
*Tel: 08 3827 9666 / 08 3825 7179 *Email: ngon138@saigonkhanhnguyen.vn<br />
*Website: www.quanngon138.com)<br />
DA NANG<br />
EFFERVESCENT POOL<br />
PARTY AT NAUTICA<br />
BEACH CLUB<br />
Situated at the Premier Village Danang<br />
Resort, Nautica Beach Club is a great<br />
place for you and your family to enjoy<br />
an effervescent pool party every<br />
Sunday. You are invited to experience<br />
one of the most wonderful swimming<br />
pools in Danang and a fresh seafood<br />
buffet while immersing yourself in<br />
the musical atmosphere featuring DJ<br />
& VJ John Cove and Sailors Dance.<br />
Prices: VND350,000++/ adult,<br />
VND175,000++/ child (6-11 years old),<br />
free for children under 6.<br />
(NAUTICA BEACH CLUB -<br />
PREMIER VILLAGE DANANG<br />
*Vo Nguyen Giap, Ngu Hanh Son,<br />
Danang *Tel: 0905 329 566)<br />
HCMC<br />
ASIAN FOOD STREET<br />
Inspired by bustling food streets in<br />
Asian countries where foodies can<br />
enjoy hundreds of delicious dishes,<br />
Ngon Asia House is a food corner<br />
right in the heart of Saigon. Situated<br />
on Nguyen Hue St., Ngon Asia<br />
House spans a spacious green area<br />
with walkways displaying Asian spices<br />
such as cinnamon, pepper, anise, and<br />
turmeric. With 5 culinary corners<br />
bearing distinctive styles, Ngon Asia<br />
House is one of the most attractive<br />
sites to explore Japanese, Chinese,<br />
Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. Don't<br />
miss the dessert menu where you<br />
can find everything from fresh fruit,<br />
Vietnamese sweet soup with sticky<br />
rice, and Thai mango sticky rice to<br />
Japanese and Korean cakes.<br />
(NGON ASIA HOUSE<br />
RESTAURANT *Saigon Garden,<br />
99 Nguyen Hue, Dist. 1, HCMC<br />
*Tel: 08 3821 3821)<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong><br />
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